The Cirrascale Blog/ Scaling the Cloud One Blog Post at a Time

For the Love of Free: San Diego Edition

Have you ever traveled to San Diego? Do you even know what San Diego is all about?

For this week’s blog post I decided to escape the hum-drum world of technology and work a little local love in to the mix instead. If it isn’t evident in your hometowns yet, Summer is here! However, Summer in San Diego isn’t like Summer in other cities around the globe. Nope. Here Summer is year-around… and we love it. And so do the in-laws, out-of-state friends, and the like. Yup, this is the time of year where the kids are out of school and all of those non-Cali families are calling to find out when they can “stay” with you for “a little while”. We’ve all been there.

The hard part is that you are always stuck entertaining, or suggesting entertainment ideas because you live here and know the area the best, right? HA! You’d be surprised that most San Diegans hardly leave their own backyards. So, here’s a list of the Top 5 things to do if you’ve never been to San Diego… FOR FREE (well, free admission at least):

The Beach
This better be number one! Head to any one of San Diego’s many beaches, all free to the public, to swim, body surf or hang-ten. Play in the sand, collect seashells or just bask in the sun. Enjoy the atmosphere, watch the locals, swim with the sharks… it’s awesome! The beach is a great way to share the love of San Diego with Friends and Family… and it’s free. Heck, why you’re at it, visit La Jolla Cove and see the magnificent sunset on the ocean. La Jolla Cove is one of the most spectacular natural settings in the world. SPECTACULAR I TELL YA!

Seaport Village
Visit downtown San Diego’s Seaport Village for hours of free entertainment, leisurely strolling and window shopping. Enjoy a laid-back day of hanging out in the grass and watching the many passing yachts and ships on picturesque San Diego Bay, or take in the sights from one of the many bay-view eateries. It’s a great place to eat, and then when you’re done you can even walk to Downtown San Diego for a little more fun. Stroll through the 16½-block historic Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego and view the renovated turn-of-the-century Victorian architecture, home to boutiques, art galleries, specialty shops and more.

Mission Trails Regional Park
For those active family members, visit Mission Trails Regional Park to explore the cultural, historical and recreational aspects of San Diego. Stop at the Visitor’s Center and learn about the wonders of nature and the people who once lived on the land. Or, roam through the park’s 40 miles of natural and developed hiking and biking trails. So many awesome things to see and experience.

Balboa Park
Everyone needs to see Balboa Park and gaze at its beautiful Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and lush landscape. While there, take advantage of the park’s variety of offerings, including 15 museums (some are free on Tuesdays), free daily park tours, public organ concerts (most Sundays), and spectacular gardens (lots are free daily – up to seven). If you’ve never had your visiting family walk through this awesome park with its trails and cultural beauty, then you’re personally responsible for them missing out on one of San Diego’s greatest treasures.

Brewery Tours
San Diego is home to some of the most awarded microbrews and heck, we love our beer. Check out the local craft beer scene during free, daily brewery tours at Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido. Beer lovers can go behind the scenes and sample several microbrews from one of the world’s top breweries. And Stone isn’t the only one, there are plenty of options and places to visit and enjoy the brew love.

Hopefully that gives a small sampling of some of the things that you can do FOR FREE while you’ve got family in town or friends coming to see you while visiting San Diego. Check out SanDiego.org for more details and information on our lovely town and how visitors can enjoy it.